Chapter 23 Please Me The man sounded impassioned, and yet Deirdre shivered. How could she not? She was terrified.
She took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Brendan had been waiting, his legs perfectly overlapping atop one another, his eyes settling on Deirdreâs suitcase before they turned stormy. His hands around the armrests tightened. âYou even packed all your things !â He mocked her. âLemme guess. Had nothing ruined your plan-say, had Sterling not gotten into the biggest trouble of his life â the two of you would have been on your way, merrily eloping!â
Deirdre instinctively stepped between him and her suitcase. She cast her eyes low and ignored his remark altogether. âLeave Sterry alone, okay?â
âSterry?â The intimacy of that nickname made Brendanâs ears bleed. He grazed the black diamond hooped over his ring finger and fidgeted with it slowly, almost as though to let out some of the fury burning in his eyes. âWhy should I? He challenged me, didnât he? Strutting around like some big damn white knight, wasnât he? I really thought he was a big deal, but oops! Turns out heâs been just an unwanted bastard son all along.
To think that is your idea of a reputable man! Ha!â
Insults rolled off his tongue with abandon. Deirdre bit her lip and fell on her knees, causing Brendan to narrow his eyes suddenly âI know what youâre after, Mr. Brighthall. Iâll graze my knees and grovel if it means youâll leave him alone.â
She did what she said she would.
Brendan clenched his hands. âHuman dignity is wasted on you.â
âYouâre right. It is. I shouldnât have offended you. Iâll do anything if it means youâll leave Sterry alone.â
Had Deirdre not lost her sight, she would have borne witness to the inferno blazing out of Brendan right about now.
âOh, anything? Anything at all, now?â He suddenly laughed, spreading his legs wide as if he was ready for a good time, and sized her up mockingly.
âStrip.â
Deirdre froze. Brendan lit a cigarette , letting the smog surround them without caring if it suffocated her.
He taunted her. âYou said anything, didnât you? You would do f*cking anything for that Fuller bastard, so whatâs with this phony coyness about stripping, hmm?â
Humiliation. That was his purpose.
Deirdreâs grip around her collar tightened. She had already known hell would await her in Brendanâs office, but she had still underestimated the level of depravity he was willing to sink to just to humiliate her.
âWhatâs the matter? Unwilling, are we?â He scoffed and leaned against the back of his chair nonchalantly. âOnce upon a time, Deirdre, we were husband and wife. Do you remember that?
âYou have two options. Leave Sterling and return to me. Or⦠Strip for my amusement.â
Return to him? Return to him for what? So she could be his b*tch and be at his beck and call again?
She might be undignified, but she still had a shred of self respect left in her!
Shaking, Deirdre closed her eyes and moved her hand to the first of her buttons.
One button after another, her dress began to unfurl.
Brendanâs mocking smile froze before it began to waver. He looked like he was about to murder someone as he watched Deirdre remove her clothes and stomp them under her shoe.
âDeirdre McKinnon!â he bellowed. âHow dare you?! Have you no f*cking shame?! Youâre no different from a cheapâf *cking whore!â
She wanted to laugh at the absurdity of his fury. Of course she had no shame. She had nothing by this point.
âYou happy?â she replied instead.
âFantastic ! Just f*cking fantastic !â Brendan was at the onset of his own hysterics. He crushed his cigarette with his palm, and even as the glowing ember seared his fingernail, his rage prevented him from feeling it at all.â
No, Iâm not satisfied yet. Youâre a whore, right? You managed to seduce him while looking like this, right? Then try and see if you can do the same now!â
He looked at her with the arrogance of a king ordering his concubine. âPlease me!â he sneered.
Deirdre froze and raised her head in shock. She could not believe it. He would go to any lengths to humiliate her⦠even as far as to do this.